14 A. D. 1 496. 



merchandize, inward and outward, as they fliould have paid if fuch de- 

 nization had never been granted them. 



This year (or the beginning of the year 1497) Colunnbus arrived at 

 the port of Venezuela ; but not being then certain that it was a part of 

 the continent of South America, and Americus Vefpucius going foon 

 after on that coaft, he (fays Herrera) artfully gained the glory of the 

 difcovery of the continent; although, when Columbus came again on 

 that coaft, he made it appear that it was the fame he had difcovered be- 

 fore. 



An ad; of parliament [1 1. Hen. VII, c. 4.] gives diredions for making 

 weights and meafures,as a public ftandard all over England, to be taken 

 from thofe in the exchequer, and to be lodged in the principal cities 

 and towns ; from which ftandards other weights and meafures were to 

 be made, fealed, and marked, for private uie. Thofe cities and towns 

 were the fhire-towns, and moft frequented places in each county, and 

 therefore needlefs to be here particularized, as being the fame as at this 

 time. 



1497. — The Portuguefe, fmce the difcovery of Africa as far fouth as the 

 Cape of Good Hope, feem to have contented themfelves with what they 

 had already done, till the year 1497, when king Emanuel determined to 

 pufh his inquiries farther. He therefore fent out Vafco de Gama with 

 three (hips and a tender, who, in five months time, got to the north- 

 eaftward of that famous promontory, and at Mozambique (where they 

 fpoke Arabic) he got a Moorifh pilot for Quiloa and Mombaza on the 

 fame coaft, where he found large fliips from Arabia and India ; and 

 here he found the Moors pofleffed of fea-charts, quadrants, and even of 

 the compafs ; and at Melinda he got a Guzerat pilot for Calecut in In- 

 dia, which he found to be a large and populous place, v;here there were 

 above 1500 fail of fliips, ill built, and worfe fupplied with proper tack- 

 Hng, &c. for long voyages ; neither had they as yet there got the ufe of 

 the compafs ; but they carried on a great trade in fpices and other In- 

 dian merchandize ; and here he found fome Moorifh merchants and 

 one Italian. Thence he returned back to Melinda, and fo home, in 

 about twenty-fix months, to Lifbon. So here was a furprifing new the- 

 atre for commerce opened for Portugal to ad on, which we fhall fee 

 they for a long time improved to good purpofe, till riches brought on 

 pride, prodigality, and effeminacy amongfl the people, whereby a door 

 was opened for other nations to flrip them of their large pofTelfions and 

 trade in India. 



We have an ad of parliament [12. Hen. VII, c. 6.] intitled ' Every 

 * Englidiman fliall have free recourfe to certain foreign marcs, without 

 ' exadion to be taken by any Englifli fraternity ;' which very much 

 helps to clear up the difputes which took up lb many pages of pamphlets, 

 and even of entire books, from this time downward for near 200 



